Confocal scanning light microscopy involves use of an objective lens to bring light to a focal point in an object plane. Reflected light from the focal plane is brought into focus on a viewing eyepiece. To image an entire field, a mechanical scanning disk having light transmissive areas is used.
The object to be imaged is placed on a scan table or stage in the focal plane between the objective lenses. Heretofore, this table has been moved in the X-Y plane by electromechanical drivers and in the vertical Z direction by mechanical and piezoelectric element drivers Movement of the specimen stage relative to the objective lens has been used for optical sectioning of the specimen.
In the prior art, movement of an objective lens has been used exclusively for optical alignment to ensure confocal operation. Only the vertical movement of the stage has been used to perform optical sectioning.